#Auspol News Updates

The Federal Coalition’s last-ditch attempt to hit the reset button on climate change has been a flop with several dozen community members appearing at a snap rally at the Prime Minister’s press conference in Melbourne this morning.

“The Coalition has failed to review the science and adopt measures that are commensurate with the scale and urgency of the climate crisis,” said Leigh Ewbank, FoE climate spokesperson.

“An Emissions Reduction Fund that fails to keep coal, oil, and gas in the ground is a hoax.”

Friends of the Earth says the Coalition’s record of undermining action on climate change is not easily forgotten by the community.

“If the Coalition wants to be taken seriously on climate change it would apologise to the Australian people for actively undermining action since it formed government in 2013,” said Leigh Ewbank.

Environment group Friends of the Earth Australia reject indications that the Morrison government will seek to use public funds to underwrite new coal and gas projects, and say they should be 100% focused on landmark renewable energy projects like the proposed Star of the South offshore wind farm instead.

“Prime Minister Scott Morrison and the federal Coalition have learned nothing from the Liberal party's drubbing in the recent Victorian state election” said Friends of the Earth climate spokesperson Leigh Ewbank.

The Liberal party's support for coal and gas was resoundingly rejected by voters in at the Wentworth by-election and at the November state election in Victoria.

“When community support for action on climate change is on the rise, the Coalition government's support for polluting fossil fuels will go down like a lead balloon” added Ewbank.

While time is running out to act on climate change, the Coalition's obsession with coal and gas only imperils Australia's future.

The United Nations' annual Conference of Party's climate change meeting is now underway in Poland. Seasoned climate activist and citizen journalist has the following report on Australia's performance at Katowice. Originally published here.

It just wouldn't be a United Nations Climate Change conference COP in recent years without Australia at the Fossil of the Day Awards. And this year does not disappoint.

The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has released its highly-anticipated Special Report into the impacts of 1.5 degrees global warming.

The report finds climate change is already impacting communities around the world through increased severity of flooding, storms, drought and heatwaves, and that radical action is required to limit warming to well-below 1.5C.Friends of the Earth Australia says the report is a stark wake-up call on climate change and reaffirms that all governments must undertake immediate, transformative action on climate or risk catastrophic impacts.

National environment group Friends of the Earth says the Federal Coalition's 2018 budget failure on climate change comes as "no surprise" and underscores the need for greater leadership from states and territories.

"Treasurer Scott Morrison used the budget speech to rule out setting the ambitious Emissions Reduction Targets needed to avoid dangerous climate change. And he did so without mentioning climate change," said Leigh Ewbank of Friends of the Earth.

"Mr Morrison's refusal to mention climate change in the budget address is a slap in the face of community members who are exposed to the intensifying climate impacts such late-season bushfires."

Despite climate change impacts becoming more obvious and demanding urgent attention, the 2018 budget papers show a steady decline in investment in climate change. Initiatives such as the well-performing Clean Energy Finance Corporation and controversial Emissions Reduction Fund taper off over the forward estimates.

"Given that we're seeing alarming melting of the polar icecaps, the decline of the Great Barrier Reef, record-breaking heat in April, and late-season bushfires, political leaders of substance would be making climate change a priority."

"Australia needs to arrest the declining investment in climate solutions if we're to make headway on international commitments to cut emissions."

Despite hearing concerning updates from scientists and seeing worrying climate-influenced disasters across the world last year, the Federal government has failed when it comes to climate change.

Recently released data shows national emissions are increasing and that Australia will fail to meet emissions cuts it pledged under the Paris Agreement.

Since taking office in 2013, the Abbott/Turnbull governments have failed to deliver a policy agenda to rein in Australia's greenhouse gas emissions—which are among the world's largest on a per capita basis. It has done little to prepare communities across the country for the climate impacts that are (unfortunately) now unavoidable.

The Coalition's poor record on climate change policy isn't from inaction or incompetence. Evidence shows it has actively undermined efforts to address the issue. Take a look...